The Royal Contract

"What is your progress?" The voice on the other line of the screen stated, making the other person think of what to answer.

"Sir, we are right on schedule. But, we think there will be a problem with the execution of the plans. We are now working on smoothening it out." The man replied to the unknown caller.

He had accepted a new job where he and his team received a surmountable amount of money for their services. He prided himself on his work and professionality. 

He made sure that the skills of his men were above par with the rest of his competition, making them one of the best in this chosen trade.

"Send me the details of the problem and your suggestions on how to resolve the situation." He instructed the man he hired to do the job he wished done. 

He did not want anything to screw the job. He assigned one of the best men on the field, wanting to make sure that his wishes would materialize.

"Right away, Sir." The man once again ensured his new client that he was working hard on it.

He had created a name for himself in this business due to his dedication to perfecting his craft. He trained for this job his entire life, so nothing should stop him from accomplishing his task.

He also expected the same quality of perfection from every man he hired to work for him. Each man had to undergo rigorous training and approach each situation with a quick mind and excellent strategic thinking.

"I expect a lot from you. Don't let me down." The client expressed his opinion on the matter, with a hint of warning in his tone.

This team had made a name for themselves, making him believe that they were capable of achieving the objective of their mission. But their services did come with a high price. 

"Yes, Sir. You can count on us." The man on the other line responded with affirmation. "Our men are also working on gathering more information regarding the wedding." 

He had heard that many rumors were circulating about the wedding. Different scenarios were coming up in the social scenes, making people speculate, all possible outcomes of the wedding.

Although he could do this job even in his sleep, he still did not want to take any chances. Anything could blindside him and turn 

a positive outcome upside down.

"Make sure that we have all the details, and then update me. I would not want anything to slip through our fingers." The unknown caller insisted, thinking of the time he had already spent working on his plans.

He would not allow all his efforts to go to waste. He was not ready to accept failure, not yet when he could still do something about it. The call ended with a few more instructions coming from him. 

He could not allow anything that could ruin their plans. He was paying him a great deal of money. He did not want to be disappointed. He demanded results for what he paid.

In another scene, another call was taking place. The phone started ringing, alerting the owner of an incoming call. He quickly snatched the phone that sat on the surface table and pressed the answer button.

"Yes, Dad. What is it?" He still asked, even if he already knew why he was calling.

He had heard of the rumors that were circulating in his hometown. Despite not having any concrete proof of its authenticity, he would not ignore the warning signs that his instincts were telling him.

"Alex." He acknowledged his son before continuing. "I called because our investigators still could not find anything substantial that would indicate that the threat is real."

As the head of the Council of Elders, it was his obligation to uphold the peace and order in the entire nation. Anything that would threaten that had to be dealt with accordingly.

As a father, he would do everything in his power to protect him, even if he had to use all the resources of the kingdom to find the culprit.

"Let me help. I can send some of my investigators to help find out the truth behind the news." Alex wished that they were wrong. 

He hoped that it was just a rumor made by people who had nothing to do but create havoc on other people's lives. It would be simpler, and he would have nothing to fear for his fiance's life.

"Just give me a few more hours to set it up." He continued, not wanting to take any chances.

He would rather overreact to the matter than play complacent to the possible danger. He could not let anything happen to their wedding, especially his future wife.

"Fine." The duke finally conceded, knowing that every help was more than welcome. 

A wedding event in the kingdom was not an easy task to accomplish. Moreover, if the one getting married was part of the immediate royal family.

"How about Dani? How is she?" The duke asked, concerned that these rumors might be affecting her mental state. It might cause more pressure not only from the wedding but the threat too.

"She is fine, Dad." He assured his father that everything in his end was running smoothly.

He was more than glad that lately, Dani was more cooperative with his suggestions, especially when it involved her safety.

She had finally stopped herself from fighting him in his every turn to protect her.

"I am glad to hear that." The duke said before ending the call.

He would like to see his son and his fiance soon. But due to the wedding preparations, it had been a challenge to do so. Even Katherine was dying to have a glimpse of them.

He finished the call with a determined note in his tone. He would make sure that his son would have the best wedding in history. Nothing would be able to stop the ceremony from happening.

In another part of the town, a meeting was happening. A few people gathered inside the room, where a man presided over the gathering. 

"Are you sure about the threat to my daughter's wedding?" He questioned the report he just received today. He wondered if Alex already knew about the rumors but kept it from him.

He did not mind if he hid the news from him. He could already tell that his wife might have something to with that. He could not blame them for thinking of his health condition.

He did not doubt Alex's loyalty to his daughter. He was sure if he knew about this, he was already on top of the situation. Alex would make sure that his daughter would always be safe with his family.

"Yes, but I still have no concrete proof of the plans and the motive." The investigator notified him as he rubbed his chin, thinking of his next move. "We are still gathering intel on the matter, Mr. Hamilton."

He had heard from a reliable source that an unknown wealthy man contracted mercenaries to create a mess in the kingdom, especially on the wedding day.

But he was still searching for concrete evidence to support the claim. As of now, everything was just mere hearsay. No one or nothing yet could pinpoint the source of the rumor.

"Then, update me with anything that you will come up with," Ethan ordered his man.

He had protected his daughter from harm during her entire life, now was not the time to fail. He could see how much marrying Alex meant to his daughter. He would make sure that it would happen without a hitch.

Besides, he did like Alex to be his son-in-law. He would not let anything that would jeopardize that from happening. He might not be in a position of power anymore, but he still had many connections.

"What is the meaning of this?" A woman's voice echoed in the room, making Ethan look in her direction.

He could see the anger in her eyes but mixed with concern. He understood what she was going through, but she needed to realize that he could not just sit and watch in this case.

He had to help in controlling the situation. It was their daughter's life at stake, and he would not allow anyone to harm her in any way.

"Don't be mad, Laura. I just received a piece of disturbing news." He was not about to lie about this to his wife.

His wife might be overprotective of his health, but when it came to their daughter. He knew that she would understand why he was doing this.

"What is it?" She suddenly sounded alarmed as she continued towards the center of the room until she stood beside his chair.

She waited for him to answer her, but she could already sense that it had something to do with her child. Call it mother's instinct, but she could tell from the look in his eyes that there was something wrong.

"It had something to do with the wedding." He related to his wife what he had learned so far. It was nothing much yet, but he would make sure to get to the bottom of the matter.

He might have kept thousands of secrets from his wife regarding the business or anything to protect her. But he never did keep anything from her about their daughter. 

He believed that as his partner in raising their only child. She deserved to know everything that was happening with her.. That included the imminent threat to Dani's wedding.